The invention pertains to a method for fabricating a microchannel plate (MCP) from a perforated silicon workpiece produced by photoelectrochemical etching (PECE).
There are various known methods for manufacturing microchannel plates (MCPs). It is instructive to begin by examining the relative capabilities of such known methods. The traditional method for manufacturing an MCP substrate uses a multi-fiber draw (MFD) technique employing reduced-lead silicate glass (RLSG). Another method employs reactive particle etching (RPE) and thin-film activation. The table below summarizes the relative capabilities, and cost of these methods.
______________________________________ Comparison of Known Methods for Fabricating MCP Substrates MFD: Multifiber Draw of RLSG-MCPs RPE: Reactive Particle Etching Capability MFD RPE ______________________________________ D Pore Diamenter .gtoreq.5 .mu.m 1-2 .mu.m P Pitch .gtoreq.6 .mu.m .gtoreq.3 .mu.m .alpha. length/D 30-120 30-40 A Area 1-100 cm.sup.2 1-100 cm.sup.2 Cost moderate moderate ______________________________________
It is desirable to improve and expand each of the categories to thereby improve the resulting products. It is also desirable that newly devised process steps may be employed to improve the manufacturing process. Such process steps may result in a new process category or may be combined with satisfactory elements of known processes. In either case, improvements in quality and productivity may be achieved.